The Day of the LORD and the End Times*
There is a misconception in the Church regarding "The Day of the LORD." We view this Day as being associated mainly with the Rapture of the Church and the Millennial Reign of Christ on the earth. However, the prophets of scripture and the revelations of the New Testament give us a different view of what this Day entails.
The prophet Joel wrote that the Day of the LORD would be marked by earthquakes, gloominess and deep darkness as the light of the sun, moon and stars are withdrawn. He wrote: "...for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?" (Joel 2:10-11). Malachi also asked the question: "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' sope..." (Mal. 3:2). Jesus said: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Lk. 21:36).
Joel called for the people of God to assemble at the warning sound of the trumpet, and to repent. All are to gather including the bridegroom and the bride (Joel 2:16), both of whom bring to mind the meaning of the coming Fall Feasts, and the wedding of the Lamb of God to His Bride, the believers in Christ. The friend of the Bridegroom, ahead of His appearing, shouts, "The bridegroom cometh!" (see Mt. 25:1-13). This is the purpose of the Church as the Day of the LORD approaches: repentance and warning. Joel also mentions the promise of God to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, as Peter also preached concerning the pouring out of God's Spirit in the last days in the Book of Acts on the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem, as the Holy Spirit manifested as tongues of fire upon the disciples, the believers in Christ, in the Upper Room. (Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:14-18). Peter also repeated the prophecy of Joel about the darkening of the heavenly bodies, and he delivered the Gospel of the Savior Jesus Christ who was crucified by the listeners' wicked hands, but rose again from the dead. (see Acts 2:22-24). Joel, and later in time, Peter, both state the promise of God: "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call." (Joel 2:32, Acts 22:21). Peter concluded his preaching inspired by the Holy Spirit this way: "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36). The result of Peter's sermon to those listening on Pentecost was this: "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost...and the same day there were added unto them (the believers) about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:37-41). The message of the friend of the Bridegroom in these last days is still the same today. God is not willing for any to perish, but that all should come to repentance. (see 2 Peter 3:9).
Again as Joel wrote about the darkening of the heavenly lights, there is also a day of warfare and judgment involving the nations that have treated Judah and Jerusalem with oppression. The LORD commands those nations, "Prepare war...The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain (see also Isa. 2:1-3): then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more." (Joel 3:14-17). There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. There is a world perishing that is deceived and blinded to the truth. Even the elect of God is vulnerable to deception according to scripture. This is not just a time of Rapture and marriage for the Church, but it is a time of and appointed purpose to be accomplished.
The prophet Amos brought this Word of the LORD to His people: "Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD...shall be with you...will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph...Wailing shall be in the streets...for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD. Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light...even very dark, and no brightness in it?" (Amos 5:14-20). The LORD goes on to criticize Israel for the Feasts and offerings that are observed, but without the love and dedication to the LORD that they are to represent. God is not done with Israel, and calls Israel to come back to Him. The Church does not replace Israel in the purpose of God, as some false doctrines teach.
The prophet Zephaniah wrote: "The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly...mighty men shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness...And I will bring distress upon men...and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land." (Zeph. 1:14-18). We see today that wealth is being hoarded by the wealthiest on earth, but it will do them no good in the day of the LORD. We are told by Jesus to pray to escape these things, not pay to escape. The apostle James also wrote about the false security that many have in their wealth: "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire: ye have heaped treasure together for the last days...Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter...Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you." (James 5:1-6, excerpt). While saying these things, James also tells the believers: "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord...Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door." (v. 7-9, excerpt). We are a blessed nation, full of wealth, however, we need to remember and live knowing that the Judge is at the door and He is not swayed by our wealth.
The prophets and the apostles all declared that the day of the Lord is at hand. The prophets and apostles of today are still declaring this, that all would return to the Lord with repentance. The Church is not meant to suffer the wrath of God on this day, as we will read, but to warn and minister truth if we will be obedient.
Paul wrote to the Church to describe the Rapture, or Catching Away, of the Church, and its connection with the trump of God: "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thess. 4:13-18, excerpt). The trump of God is also associated with the Fall Feast of Trumpets, which will occur soon. The prophet Joel spoken of above also began his written prophecies from God with the command to blow the trumpet in Zion, to sound the alarm.
Paul mentions the feasts of the Lord in connection to his verses above as "times and seasons" with which we believers should be familiar. Paul also wrote that we should know that the day of the Lord "so cometh as a thief in the night." (1 Thess. 5:1-2). Sudden destruction will come even as men are saying that there is peace. We are not to be part of the darkness of that day by being caught by surprise, but we are children of light and day, prepared and watchful, sober and alert: "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." (v. 3-10). These are the truths that comfort us and edify us as we edify each other.
The apostle Peter also wrote of the last days, and the day of the Lord. He wrote that in the last days scoffers would deny to soon coming wrath and return of Christ, deliberately forgetting that God indeed judged the ungodly world once before by the flood of water, corroborated by scientific findings, and would judge again, but this time with the fire that is stored up in the earth for this purpose. (2 Pet. 3:1-8, excerpt). For this reason, the writings of the prophets and the teachings of the apostles should be remembered and believed.
Though it may seem to be delayed, the judgment will come. What is delaying it is the Lord's desire to see as many saved from it as possible: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men might count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up." (v. 9-10). The Lord desires all to repent and be saved from this calamity, as Joel wrote: "...whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered..."
Peter wrote that the believers should be looking for new heavens and a new earth "wherein dwelleth righteousness" according to the prophetic promise of God. The Bride (the believers in Christ) prepares her wedding garments without spot or wrinkle, which represent our righteous works, and the Groom, Jesus, prepares a place for us, as is part of the Jewish marriage traditions. Our righteous works in these times include doing the works of the Kingdom of God, bringing the lost into salvation.
The prophet Hosea brought the Word of the LORD against His people who have rejected and forgotten the knowledge of God. Therefore, the LORD said that He had also then rejected them as priests and would forget their children. His people are destroyed because they have forgotten Him, and the LORD has changed their glory into shame. (see Hos. 4:6-9).
In these last days before the return of Christ, to which all of the signs are pointing, this is not the time to forget or reject the Lord and His Word, His prophets, His apostles, His warnings, and His Great Commission to go into all the world with the Gospel of His salvation whenever the opportunity is given to us.
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